Glenna's Story - Futures for Children

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Futures for Children shares an inspirational and remarkable story about an American Indian girl, Glenna Cly from the Navajo Reservation. In a 7 minute video, Glenna blossoms into a leader, much to her surprise and delight, thanks to the Futures for Children’s Youth Leadership Program.

www.futuresforchildren.org

Actor Ted Danson, a Futures for Children mentor for over 27 years said, “This is a very successful program that encourages and helps kids stay in school.” Futures for Children has a success rate of 95% amongst its students.

Albuquerque, NM (PRWEB)February 9, 2011

Futures for Children is proud to release “Glenna’s Story.” It’s about the intangible and lasting value Futures for Children brings to one student who recently graduated high school. The Youth Leadership Program is at the core of Futures for Children, an organization founded by Dr. Richard Saunders in 1968, to provide educational opportunities for American Indian children in Hopi, Navajo, New Mexico Pueblo and Mescalero Apache communities.

The high school dropout rate is the highest amongst American Indian students – an alarming 50%.

Actor Ted Danson, a Futures for Children mentor for over 27 years said, “This is a very successful program that encourages and helps kids stay in school.” Futures for Children has a success rate of 95% amongst its students. Actress Goldie Hawn, a Futures for Children mentor for 22 years wrote, “This unique organization is very close to my heart because I have seen firsthand the successful results of its kind-hearted efforts in helping these very special, very blessed people.”

The adversities that an American Indian child experiences – it’s just not the high school dropout rate, there is a lack of basic necessities such as plumbing, electricity, and telephone. American Indians as a whole are also dealing with alarming rates of suicide, unemployment, diabetes, domestic violence, alcoholism, and gambling addiction. With all these obstacles, American Indian children are expected to do well in school. Each day, it’s a daily struggle due to the lack of infrastructure – for some students, it takes on average an hour and a half on the school bus one way! The myth that all American Indian communities are doing well do to gaming and special tax incentives is exactly that, a myth. The world and, in particular, Americans, needs to know that American Indians don’t have their basic human rights met right in our own backyard.

Glenna’s Story is about hope and triumph, and how she is able to keep her rich heritage, culture and language against all odds, and how Futures for Children affects one child at a time, one family at a time, and ultimately, communities.